Former Mississippi State professor sentenced to life for wife's murder

ABERDEEN – A Monroe County man and former MSU professor was convicted in the murder of his wife following a five-day trial in Monroe County Circuit Court.

David Parvin Jr., 71, was on trial for the Oct. 15, 2007 shooting death of his wife, Joyce B. Parvin. She was found dead while sitting at a computer at her home at 50059 Deer Road near the Aberdeen Marina.

According to court documents, Parvin had called 911 to report that his wife had been shot. Originally it was believed that this was an accidental shooting. He had originally entered a plea of not guilty and claimed to have been walking with a shotgun in his hand preparing to shoot a beaver when he tripped and the gun discharged, with the bullet entering the home and fatally striking his wife. Parvin was not arrested until 2009 after an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation used specialized software to analyze the angle at which his wife was shot while sitting at her computer inside their home. The software revealed that the gun was not fired from waist level as Parvin had initially claimed, but at shoulder level.

After several continuances, Parvin’s trial got under way on June 13. He was found guilty on June 17. Judge Paul Funderburk sentenced Parvin to life in prison.

Parvin had been a former professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University.

District Attorney John Young said he thanked law enforcement, as well as Assistant District Attorneys Paul Gault and Chip Mills for the job they did in investigating this case that led to the conviction. “Most importantly, I hope that this verdict provides the family with some degree of closure. While it dos not bring back a lost loved one, hopefully it will help them move forward knowing that justice has been done,” Young said.